


You and I, unselfed

by Moriavis



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, First Kiss, M/M, Medicinal Drug Use, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-08-03 14:56:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16328174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moriavis/pseuds/Moriavis
Summary: Leonard woke up after a battle to discover Barry had learned his secret.





	You and I, unselfed

**Author's Note:**

> Another old tumblr prompt! I am on fire~
> 
> This anon requested a tattoo soulmate fic. It occurred to me that I have never written a tattoo soulmate au before, and so this is probably way off the mark in terms of tropes. 
> 
> This is another unbeta'ed one, so I hope you bear with me. Also, my title is from Rumi's _A Moment of Happiness_.

~*~

Leonard groaned, raising his arm to ward off the light that was trying to stab its way through his closed eyelids and into his brain. "Gideon," he grunted, his throat dry and sandpapery, "lights down." There was a whoosh of air, and the lights went dark. Leonard sighed, not quite relieved, and melted back against the bed. His body throbbed in time with his heartbeat, and all he wanted to do was go back to sleep again.

"Thirsty?" Barry asked, and Leonard fought against his exhaustion to open his eyes, jerking upright in the bed before the pain caught up with him. He wasn't in the med bay of the Waverider after all, and Leonard darted a look around the room—off the cortex in STAR Labs, one of the medical rooms. How the hell had he gotten here?—before he focused on Barry, who rose out of the chair next to Leonard's bed. There was a cup of water with a straw in his hand. 

"Why'm I—" Leonard slurred, and he laid back against the bed again, all of his strength used up in that brief moment of panic.

"Just… relax, okay? You're safe." Barry leaned forward, holding the cup so Leonard could take a sip from the straw, the cool water easing Leonard's throat. "You got hurt on the last mission we teamed up on. Do you remember?"

Leonard closed his eyes, struggling to think past the aching of his head. "I remember a telepathic gorilla."

"Gorilla Grodd, yeah," Barry agreed. "We got you fixed up in the Waverider, but… I wanted to keep you in Central until you woke up."

Leonard took the cup of water between his shaky hands and drained it dry before he gave it back to Barry, watching as Barry set the cup to the side. There was something about the way Barry was holding himself, like he was pulling back on the normal fluidity of his movement; it made him look like he was tip-toeing around a feral animal he was afraid of chasing away. Leonard closed his eyes again and pressed his hand to his aching forehead. "How'd you find out?"

There was a soft hitch in Barry's breathing, and his voice was thick when he answered. "In the medbay, I… uh. They took off your jacket, and your shirt was ripped, and I saw." Leonard could feel Barry's fingertips skate up his arm, just short of touching. "You weren't going to tell me, were you?"

"So we're having this conversation now?" Leonard didn't bother opening his eyes. He could already see Barry's face—confused, a little betrayed; it was an expression Leonard was very familiar with.

"I don't know," Barry said, a little spiteful and caustic. "Can I get an honest answer out of you when you're not half dead?"

Leonard laughed at that. "Not even then."

"I'm so mad at you." Barry breathed loudly, a sigh that was pure annoyance. "No, just. Open your eyes and look, okay?"

Barry sounded so frustrated that Leonard did as Barry asked, looking up to meet his eyes. Barry turned his back to him and sat on the edge of his bed, pulling down the collar of his shirt and exposing a little skin.

Small, discrete against his shoulder blade, were two lockpicks, crossed one over the other.

"It's so small," Leonard whispered, and something in his tone made Barry relax as he let go of his collar and turned to face Leonard again. 

"Yours is so big." Barry reached for Leonard's arm again, hovering without touching. "I want to see all of it. Will you let me?"

Leonard knew he shouldn't give in, but Barry's question was soft and real, and maybe he was tired of letting the kid down. He reached for the hem of his shirt, but paused when his muscles spasmed, reminding him that he wasn't exactly at his best.

"Here." Barry grabbed a small remote from the bedside table and hit a button; a moment later, the corners of Leonard's vision went soft and fuzzy, and his aches practically floated away.

"You gave me the good stuff," Leonard said in surprise, and when Barry smiled, he couldn't help but mirror the expression.

"Morphine. Gideon said you were out of the woods, but it was okay to give you hard painkillers for a day or two." Barry sat next to Leonard on the bed again and tilted his head, watching Leonard with piercing eyes. "You okay?"

"Peachy," Leonard agreed, and he pulled his shirt up and over his head, all at once. He waited for Barry to say something, anything, but Barry remained silent. Leonard understood why—his soulmate mark was brutal, a Lichtenberg figure that formed as if lightning had struck him solidly in the chest and flowered out along the arteries in his arms. It was the color of a dark bluish bruise. After another minute of silence, Leonard felt the need to clarify. "It never hurt."

'When did you know?" Barry asked softly. "That it was me."

"In the woods," Leonard said, seeing no reason now to play coy. It was one reason why he hated drugs—they made it too easy to talk. "The night we made our agreement." In the woods, in the moonlight, when Barry had been furious and Leonard had thought _I'm never gonna get tired of this._

"And it never occured to you to _tell_ me?"

"Nope." Leonard popped the 'p' as he leaned back to make himself more comfortable. "I'm a murderer. You're the Scarlet Speedster." He shook his head in wonder. "Barry Allen. You're a damned _superhero_. What a world we live in."

Barry turned his face away, and Leonard wanted to touch the line of his jaw. How warm would his skin be if Leonard just reached out and pressed his fingers to Barry's cheek? What if he touched that tiny soulmark that had seemed so delicate?

Fuck, he hated being high. He'd have to talk to Sara about leaving him behind in hostile territory. She should've known better.

"Were you disappointed?" Barry asked. Leonard must have made some sort of inquisitive noise he didn't quite remember, because Barry looked over at him, jaw tense and eyes gleaming. "That's why you never said anything, wasn't it? Because I was _just_ a CSI—"

Leonard shook his head, even though it made the room swim a little. "Because I _suck_. I'm a bad person, and I don't feel bad about it. You deserve better, kid. I'm an asshole."

Barry snorted. "No argument there." He fell silent, watching Leonard again, and Leonard gave up trying to figure out what he wanted. It was easier to stare up at the ceiling and let the morphine take away the pain.

"Maybe I should wait until you're healed, but I can't." Barry said all at once, so fast that Leonard almost couldn't follow it. "I want our bond, Leonard. I don't want to ignore it. Please."

Leonard turned his head to look at Barry, the golden edge on the world lighting on Barry's hair and clothing. "You said my name." Leonard smiled, slow and lopsided. "Doesn't sound so bad when you say it."

Barry swallowed, his smile growing tender. "I'll say it as much as you want."

Leonard looked at both of his arms and then reached out with the one that wasn't connected to all the medical equipment. "C'mon, then." 

Barry bowed his head, guiding Leonard's hand, and already Leonard was distracted, his skin rising in goosebumps at that first touch, Barry's hand on his forearm. Barry curled Leonard's hand over his shoulder, and Leonard obediently slid his fingers beneath the fabric of Barry's shirt.

It was like an electric shock when he brushed the mark—Barry's emotions were a mess, a complicated lump in their chest, and Barry hiccupped a soft laugh, murmuring, "Here, wait, I'll complete the—" Barry rested his hand on Leonard's chest, and the bond stretching between them snapped into place, making them both gasp in surprise.

"Wow," Barry said, his pupils blowing wide. "I really did give you the good stuff." Barry slumped to the side, and Leonard caught him with the grip he had on his shoulder, tugging at him until Barry got the idea and nestled against Leonard's side, safe from falling off the bed.

"Sorry I made you so lonely," Leonard whispered hoarsely.

"I know," Barry whispered back. "I can feel it." He pushed up and leaned on his elbow so he could look down at Leonard, and Leonard let him, half asleep as he was. Barry hummed to himself as he caressed Leonard's forehead, the line of his cheek, mapping the curve of Leonard's ear with his fingertips.

"Kiss me, if you're gonna think so damn hard about it," Leonard said grouchily, and Barry giggled, bending down to brush their noses together before he tilted his head for a kiss. It was sweet and gentle, a chaste press of their mouths, and then Barry pulled away. "That's it?"

"That's it? Jerk." Barry laughed again and nestled back against Leonard's side, idly tracing one of the lightning flowers on Leonard's chest. "Don't try to start something we can't finish. Go to sleep. We'll pick this back up later."

Leonard hummed as he settled his hand against the small of Barry's back, continuing his slow slide towards sleep.

Maybe this soulmate thing wouldn't be so bad, after all.

~*~


End file.
